Penns Grove High School football head coach Kemp Carr was honored by the New York Jets.File photo

Kemp Carr didn’t believe it.

He didn’t know why he would be told that the New York Jets were calling him during school, but at first he wasn’t buying it.

But he talked to the person on the other end of the phone, and found out that the Jets wanted to name him their High School Coach of the Week for the week of Nov. 3.

“I happened to be in school, and I got a call that the Jets were on the phone,” Carr said. “I said, yeah, right. They transferred the call to me, and they gave me the news that I was the tri-state High School Coach of the Week.

“I was totally taken by surprise. It speaks volumes for where we are now, and where we were.”

Each NFL team honors a high school football coach weekly during the season. Carr’s honor came after his Red Devils recorded their fifth straight shutout, a 52-0 win over Highland to close out an 8-0 regular season. They clinched their third division title in four years with the win over the Tartans, are averaging over 50 points per game and are the top seed and favorite in the South Jersey Group I tournament.

Penns Grove opens play Saturday against No. 8 seed Audubon.

“When that type of recognition happens ... it speaks volumes about the coaching staff, the kids, the school,” said Carr. “It’s a team honor that I take credit for, but without them it couldn’t happen.”

The coach of the week selection is accompanied by a certificate from the Jets, as well as $1,000 to benefit the football program.

The award is not just for success on the field, but as the Jets website says, for coaches “who serve the best interests of the game through the teaching of sound football fundamentals, the motivation of young players to achieve and the promotion of youth football by way of dedication to their community, their school and their student-athletes.”

That it’s for more than just wins may mean the most to Carr.

“I’ve gone from Colorado to Virginia to Maryland, coaches clinics, Nike clinics, trying to pick up a little here, a little there,” he said. “I think that’s helped the program. I don’t know everything about football, and if I can get better the organization can get better.

“It’s positive, and any time you can get organizations to recognize you for that (it’s great).”